(Credit: Jessica Bratton)
Warm up to six of these pumpkin-inspired sips and savories at local spots. (And, yes, there's no pumpkin in the donuts, but we couldn't resist.
Pumpkin bites fill local restaurants
Spots where you can warm up to a taste of fall
Kelly Housen & Rob Kalesse
MetromixOctober 16, 2009
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The Back Burner Restaurant
425 Hockessin Corners - Hockessin302-239-2314
Talk about signature dishes. The pumpkin mushroom soup, a velvety, heavy cream based pot of crimini mushrooms, pumpkin purée and cinnamon, has been a crowd favorite on the Back Burner's permanent menu for 20 years. The award-winning soup is topped with sour cream and chive and goes well with a light pinot noir. And not only is it available by the cup ($4) or bowl ($6) at the restaurant, but it's also available to-go by the pint ($5) and quart ($11).
Milburn Orchards
1495 Appleton Road - Elkton410-398-1349
Sure, it's nice to bite into a juicy, crisp, healthy apple just picked off a tree in a local orchard. But imagine if that same apple first became cider, and then was mixed into a donut batter. That apple would have the honor of being part of the most delicious apple-based fall food, the apple cider donut from Milburn Orchard. The first bite of the granulated-sugar dredged donut will leave a smattering of sugar on your face and fingers, but the texture of the tender, cakey donut combined with the flavor of apples, cinnamon and sugar means that you won't care. You'll plow through that first tasty treat, and be on to your second before you realize what's happening. Trust us. The apple cider donuts are 89 cents a piece and $7.95 a dozen.
Blue Crab Grill
322 Suburban Drive - Newark302-737-1100
It came as no surprise when Blue Crab owner Dick Schmidt told us that his pumpkin sausage, which is accompanied by a very autumnal apple-walnut risotto ($9), comes directly from the Italian Market in South Philadelphia. The pork sausage is ground up with fresh pumpkin, pecans and bourbon, and seasoned with nutmeg and allspice, which provides a peppery bite. The recommended pairing is one you'll find in our pumpkin six-pack, the Dogfish Head Punkin Ale.
The Perfect Cup Café
7460 Lancaster Pike - Hockessin302-239-9118
Looking for hot pumpkin pie in a cup? You'll find it at the Perfect Cup Café in Hockessin, where we were lucky enough to stumble upon their Pumpkin Latte while on assignment a few chilly Octobers ago. Complete with espresso, Monin's pumpkin spice syrup, milk and whipped cream, this hot Halloween brew will haunt their coffee menu through the holiday season, and goes for $3.20 for a 12-ounce short, $3.50 for a 16-ounce tall and $3.80 for a 20-ounce grande.
Bistro 1717
1717 Delaware Ave. - Wilmington302-655-5080
Here we have cold pumpkin pie served in a glass, with a little alcohol to warm you up this fall season. This creamy gourdgeous martini was dreamed up by bartender extraordinaire, Jen Daker. She uses vanilla vodka and pumpkin spice as the main ingredients, and finishes off the rim with fresh whipped cream, just like you would the dessert. At home we include a little heavy cream and créme de cacao in ours.
Woodside Farm Creamery
1310 Baltimore Pike - Hockessin302-239-9847
No matter what the weather, it's always an appropriate time for ice cream. There's no flavor better for autumn indulgence than the pumpkin ice cream at Woodside Farm. A scoop of the pumpkiny, cinnamony ice cream is reminiscent of pumpkin pie, but more delicious because it's ice cream. It tastes like fall on a cone. Get it at Woodside Farm Creamery from noon until 8 p.m., before Nov. 1, when they close for the season. Or, stop in to Sweet Lucy's on Concord Pike, where they're also serving up Woodside's pumpkin ice cream. They sell the ice cream by weight, so expect a single dip to run a little under $3. You can also buy it by the pint ($4.65) or quart ($7).
